How do you build a community-service program based on mutual respect that embraces both students and the community as equal partners? What steps can you take to empower and recognize the strengths of everyone involved in your program? A research-based approach to service learning can help students partner with communities to build programs that are beneficial to everyone involved. A strength-based community assessment can be a first step in partnering with a community to identify the community’s priorities, strengths, resources, and vision for the future. Program evaluations and research studies can help schools build, maintain, or enhance their service-learning projects. Focusing on a community’s strengths and periodic program evaluations encourages collaboration between students, local organizations, community leaders, and others and helps to make programs more effective.
Learn and Service America (www.servicelearning.org) offers research resources that can help schools conduct assessments, evaluate existing programs, or conduct service-learning research. Beyond Needs Assessments: Identifying a Community’s Resources and Hopes offers useful tips and links to resources that can help schools connect with the community through community listening, mapping, and strength-based assessments. Tools and Methods for Evaluating Service Learning in Higher Education outlines points and steps to consider during an evaluation process and links to evaluation resources. A great first step for any school that is contemplating starting a new service-learning program or looking to enhance an existing program, Learn and Serve America’s National Service-Learning Clearinghouse also features bibliographies of resources, fact sheets, service-learning project idea toolkits, and resources for parents.